Author: SuperMario

Kemurikusa – 08/09/10

by SuperMario, posted in Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Kemurikusa

Welp, I don’t think I have taken that long break before since I started blogging. My life has been busier than usual lately and I also feel a little bit burnt out from blogging lately. Writing can be a pain sometimes. Hopefully this is just a temporary slump because I’m not intending to stop blogging anytime soon. Now let’s get back to the last three episodes of Kemurikusa where the world-building remains just as intriguing, the characters getting slightly better and we still have absolutely no idea where the whole journey is going to end. I was certainly taken aback by Kemurikusa’s decision to skip over the big cliffhanger at the end of episode 7. There were an army of Red Bugs and the sea of Red Mist after all, and all it took is 3 seconds into episode 8. Now, upon reflection, while that skip is definitely jarring and affects my suspension of disbelief quite a bit, it does fit with the kind of story Kemurikusa is trying to tell. It’s more about the characters’ relationship and how they figuring out that worldbuilding together, not about them fighting red bugs. Wakaba has gotten full trust from the girls right now, but the star(s) of episode 8 are those little white bugs. They themselves have their own sad stories: products that no longer have any purpose, a bunch of sad sacks who live because they can’t die. Just for a 5 minute duration, these adorable bugs sacrifice themselves because at least they die knowing that their lives have a purpose.

In episode 9, Wakaba encounters the other 2 supposedly-deceased sisters, Ryo the fighter and Ryoku the tsundere scholar. These girls’ personalities are fun and distinctive enough that they make a good impression and clearly stand out on their own. Ryo is hyperactive and has an acute sense of smell (the five sense motif is running strong here), whereas Ryoku is the mind, the one with knowledge (and a written diary). One interesting fact is that these girls are from the same body in which one personality emerges at the time. This could mean that either they are just a hallucination of Wakaba (the others haven’t seen them at all), or they are using the same leaf right now, and for whatever reasons they don’t want to meet their sisters (my big guess is simply because they can’t). In episode 10 we also learn an important detail: the flashback through the point of view of the First Person, who turns out to be a child as well. Whatever written in the memory leaf, or moreso, whatever erased in the leaf written by the First Person, will serve as a big revelation for these next few episodes.

As their journey has gotten into its last leg, it’s almost unavoidable to see the team members apart. I mean, it fits neatly to the hopeless tone of their situations and the dark grim nature these girls are in, and although I could see where it was going with all the “this is the last time” scenes, the time where they part way is still goddamn heartfelt. Rin and Ritsu have their final farewell when Ritsu reaffirms how glad that she is Rin and Rina’s older sister, and the part where they decide to stay behind while slowly withering away strikes the right chore emotionally. In a wasteland world where there’s only destruction and everything resembling life will eventually vanish, it’s the fondness and the love from the sisters that will always remain. Even for Rin, imagine saying goodbye to the home she used to and the very people she wanted to protect. The journey continues, but the presence of those lost souls still remain.

Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai – 08 [The Great Airship Robbery]

by SuperMario, posted in Finished Series: Action, Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai

Kotobuki pulls off another solid episode this week, as it surprises me in many ways. For the first time, the Kotobuki Squad faces a defeat, but by some incredible stretch they manage to get out of the situation magnificently. While the characters motion still feels awkward and off-putting at times – characters designs suffer the most when the show frames characters in profile, and when Johnny shows off his inhuman skills – Kotobuki more than makes up by its CG aerial combat craft, and exciting heist story this week. The episode represents the best the wild west tone of Kotobuki as a whole. It starts out pretty simple, our team has to protect “the golden fish” (noted that in Kotobuki’s world, real fish is as rare and precious as Swiss watch). The thieves, however, have a better idea. Instead of just stealing the fish, they hijack the Hagoromo ship, and demand Isao to resign or else they’d crash the ship to the town. Honestly I didn’t see that coming at all, and these enemies prove to be more and more formidable, almost army-like status.

But the plan to counterattack from our girls prove to be pretty entertaining, as well. This robbery is a chance to flesh out ship’s supporting casts, this time Johnny, who is revealed as a veteran shooter, and Ririko, who might or might not be Johnny’s ex-wife, that they claim back the ship with style (a bit over the top but hey, so do all the Western movies). The problem doesn’t stop there though, as the ship’s control is badly damaged and there’s explosions on board. Hence the Kotobuki has to fight a way to shoot the ship down safely before Isao’s air jets, for safety reason, destroy the ship themselves. While this episode is pretty thin on paper, we can still draw out two deeper plot threads going forward. First, it’s still unclear what the enemy’s objective is. It’s clear that they’re skilled, and they’re disciplined unlike normal air pirates. Second, while the rest of the team has their reasons to pilot (case in point this week, Reona wanted to protect the orphanage), Kirie doesn’t seem to have one. From what we know about her, she learned to flight from the old man and she loves to flight with all her heart. Is there any need for a reason to be up in the air at all?

Winter 2019 Summary – Week 6-8

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Weekly Summary

Again, sorry for my lack of coverage for this column, but doing these weekly summaries make me realize more clearly than ever how quickly time passes. Feel just like yesterday that we just started this season, and now it has come way past midway point. Anime this season offers a wide range of offerings. Mob Psycho 100 had many stunning episodes, Boogiepop keeps up with its unpredictability by releasing a whole batch of 4 episodes. I’m slightly disappointed at Promised Neverland, however, as it somehow becomes less and less thrilling as the story goes on. The 4 other shows that I will feature below, still have their own appeal that keep me come back every week. The next season might be an heavyweight, but I’m perfectly happy with the current wealth this season has been offering.

Endro! (ep06-08)

Endro spends the last three episodes to flesh out the characters outside of their heroes’ group, to a varying degree of success. First, loli Devil Lord is my waifu of the season so it’s a delight to see more of her, cute facial expressions (and there are heaps of it) and whatnot. It’s a good little episode since it shows how much she steers away from her supposed evil role, and learning to accept companionship even if her friends are the ones destined to destroy her. I do have a feeling that the Devil Lord vs the Heroes fight is too repeated at this point, but everything else is a delight. The same could be said for Princess, whose assigned role is to love Yuusha unconditionally and she pushes it to the max. I enjoy how she getting close to other members because those scenes, as repeated and predictable as they tend to be, spark a solid chemistry between her and each member. That is why the latest episode fares as its worst effort. Staggering a rescue mission is nice and all, but her plan becomes a bit too much in my opinion. There’s still some solid gags (like how the faked Demon Lord’s underclassmen are more powerful than the actual one). This is the show where it constantly pokes fun at the “roles” everyone supposed to play, so the segment where they play exactly like their roles doesn’t really speak well to me.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 Summary – Week 6-8” →

Boogiepop wa Warawanai (2019) – 14 [Overdrive: The King of Distortion 1]

by SuperMario, posted in Boogiepop wa Warawanai (2019), Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense

This is often the case for a series that is fragment and non-linear like Boogiepop, the beginning is often its weakest part. Not only because it has no real beginning, therefore no real “introduction”, it has to create the right kind of mood that represents the overall tone of an entire arc. Moreover, the lack of “big catalyst” also makes it hard for viewers to fully engage with what unfold on screen. The very first episode of Boogiebop suffers hard from that (by hindsight, that premiere is amongst Boogiepop’s worst episode so far). To say all that leads to my next point: this first episode of the new arc “The King of Distortion” is a successful opener. It feels a bit meandering at first, mostly because it shifts back and forth between side characters that we know next to nothing about them, but as soon as the paranormal event kicks in, everything starts to fall into place. Like the premiere episode of “Boogiepop Doesn’t Laugh” arc, it begins through Takeda – Miyashita’s boyfriend – point of view. That fact alone gives me a good chuckle because despite appeared as serious as he is, his role is always that of a bystander. He has no real relation to the main events, therefore he’s more like a springboard for viewers before we jump into the event. Chronologically, this arc is appropriately happens right after that first arc, as many members from that cast comes back in a big way in this episode.

Everything in this episode revolves around the twisted statue that represents very well the very nature of distortion (I see it more as a walking naked woman but it’s just me). From what we gathered, it’s a “failed” project from millionaire called Teratsuki. There are some interesting nitpicks with that piece of information alone. The reason it’s “failed” isn’t because of its incompleteness, it is because Teratsuki dies mysteriously at the age of 56 and no one have a clue on the intention or even what to do with the Moon Temple architecture. Even his life was complicated before his death, he was a success in almost every field he was in (strongly indicated that he’s already evolved), and he was the person that Scarecrow investigated before he met Nagi in “Boogiepop at Dawn” arc. Precisely because people don’t know what to do with it, they make an exhibition out of it, and it attracts fair share of people lining up to get in. That Moon Temple in itself a mysterious identity, and we follow a whole range of different characters as they line up: A kid who encounters the King of Distortion in the image of Teratsuki himself (and based on what he said he’s a just-born), a random guy named Habara who meets the archery boy Tanaka, and a random girl named Michimoto who is having a fight with her date. I’m not even sure if they will become something important later on.

The one the is important, however, Niitoki, one of the surviving member after the climax of the first arc. First she sees her crush Takeda, then she pursuits Boogiepop and finally gets transferred back to the time she regretted the most – the Manticore event. The moment where the paranormal event kicks in remain one of the most breath-taking moments Boogiepop pulls up to date. As the doors closing the visitors turned into statues. Seriously, this is something that falls more in line with Ikuhara than most other anime, but I’m glad that Boogiepop goes there. Niitoki is taken back to meet Saotome, and I’m pretty sure there’s some hidden feeling, something much more about her own psyche than meets the eyes here. What is it about him (and not Manticore or her crush Takeda), that she feels regret the most? At the same time we have a look to another random security guard who appears to not be able to confess his love to the girl he likes. And even the King of Distortion himself. How was he born? It’s clear that he takes shape into whatever things people perceive him to be, but does he, like Imaginator before him, want to “evolve” human in some ways? Making them facing their own guilt past isn’t the bad way, after all, but to what extend he’s going to “fix” people? Boogiepop sets up a pretty intriguing first episode, one that again speaks to its adolescent theme, and one where Boogiepop themselves appears actively. Hopefully this arc also gives more justice to Miyashita, so far is sadly just a cardboard character with no real depth yet.

Boogiepop wa Warawanai (2019) – 10-13 [Boogiepop at Dawn]

by SuperMario, posted in Boogiepop wa Warawanai (2019), Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense

This new arc of Boogiepop, “Boogiepop at Dawn”, serves as a prequel to the current timeline, and I’m glad to say that I consider this batch of episodes to be Boogiepop’s best arc so far. It addresses many issues that I have in previous arcs. For once, the length is just about right as it squeezes all the relevant characters to their full potential. Most of all, unlike “Vs Imaginator” where the main characters are hardly relevant, this arc Nagi is the beating heart as everything revolves around her and she’s the one crucial element that ripples the water. In addition to that, both Suiko and Miyashita appear at the right moments. I agree with what Animosh said in his comment about Miyashita, as of now we know very little about her, as a result we don’t find much to invest to her own character except when Boogiepop persona takes over. Secondly, the supporting cast’s purpose feel much stronger than any of previous arc. Everyone has their roles that further affect the tide of the current. Most importantly, however, Boogiepop at Dawn delivers some emotional affecting moments that it often lacks (usually deliberately so). Episode 10 for example is one of its most resonate episode because I can clearly feel the weight of suppressed emotions Scarecrow has paid his life for. It is something raw, powerful, and yet beautiful.

My praise doesn’t stop there, either. With this arc, I have a better grasp on the themes Boogiepop as a whole franchise wanted to address. It’s all about “evolution”, be it evolving to something that surpass humans physical ability, most at the cost of losing their own humanity (Dr Kisuki) and vice versa (in Scarecrow and Sasaki’s cases), or be it the transition from childhood to adulthood (in our main Miyashita character). It’s no surprise that the original light novels target young adult as its main audience, and like Suema asserted few episodes back this is the phase where teenagers go through some psychological changes, and these supernatural characters are a physical manifestation of these psychological changes. Myths and gossips give presence to these beings, and they take advantage or devoid the weak. Lastly, the character’s weight and their chemistry sink their teeth deeper on what lies between the lines, underneath the surface: The fact that Nagi never finds out that Sasaki was her father’s killer; the fact that we never witness what Pigeon has gone through after the death of Scarecrow but we all feel it through her course of action; or the fact that the only good deeds that Scarecrow did to save Nagi would be the catalyst for many catastrophe events happened in the future. I was thinking to myself how Nagi’d react to Sasaki if she learn the truth, and I came to the conclusion that it wouldn’t affect her decision at all. Nagi is just that strong and perceptive.

I’m certain we can draw a parallel between Scarecrow and Mo Murder arc, even though at first they function in the opposite spectrum. They are both artificial human, and they are well aware of that fact (in hindsight it’s neat to show how well they blend in to the society – we don’t know about Scarecrow being an artificial human until the end of episode 10). The crack of the surface appears when Scarecrow befriends a then bed-sicken Nagi with an incurable disease. It’s her words that give him the courage of becoming Superhero: helping others even at the cost of his life. This tender moment where he meets (and names) Boogiepop before he dies really hit it home. And it comes off as rather bittersweet to know that this action causes a massive butterfly effects to the all the events later on. This arc does a nice job of depicting artificial human with their own heart in contrast with humanity who lost their own nature. Mo Murder character serves as a nice addition as well. Though he’s a hired murderer, he does try to protect Nagi out of the mess and pays his life doing so.

On the other side of the coin, Dr. Kisuki steps as a formidable villain for this arc. She’s the kind of character who obsessed with “fear” feeling to the point the feeling consumes her. The more fear her victims experience the more bloodthirsty she becomes, and by utilizing the drugs that Scarecrows used to save Nagi, she evolves into a monster. I’m in awe how her character fits very well with Boogiepop’s evolution theme and it plays as a nice contrast to Scarecrow, Echoes and the likes. The other smaller characters also fulfill their roles nicely. Chief among them are Nagi’s father who catches on with all this, and Pigeon shines in a little screen time she has. She’s definitely an unsung hero for this arc. For a character that appears so little she’s surprisingly poignant and heartbreaking. I’m not sure what the next arc of Boogiepop gonna be like (if I have to guess, I’d say it’s an arc about Miyoshita the character), I just hope that it’ll be as good as this one. Up until now, I’m more curious with Boogiepop meandering, fragment approach than its theme or actual characters’ engagement, but Boogiepop at Dawn proves that it still has its chops to become something more than just its presentation.

Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai – 06/07 [No Place to Return/ Blood for a Nazarin Pound]

by SuperMario, posted in Finished Series: Action, Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai

I’m a bit regret that I missed my chance to cover Kotobuki last week, since episode 6 of Kotobuki is easily my favorite week of the show so far. The latest episode is no slouch either, as it expands its universe considerably. Now we have a clearer sense that there is indeed an opposing organization that is on about something sinister. It’s still vague, of course, but at the same time now we have a pretty good idea what Kotobuki will head in its second half. It also shakes up a bit from its own formula as the aerial fights happen pretty early into the episodes, and then they proceed to flesh out the characters/ advance its story. I also find the CG characters are less grating, and the CG model planes are a real treat to watch. While it’s for certain that Kotobuki has its limited appeal, I still like many elements of the shows to make it an entertaining watch every week.

The reason episode 6 remains my favorite is how it fleshes out our main character Kirie, and makes her likable and relatable even though she’s the simplest character out of the cast. The way Kotobuki mixes between her memories and her present time struggles is its highlights. Her memory serves a reminder why she falls in love with piloting planes in the first place. In addition, the chemistry between her and the old geezer Sab is solid. He’s shunned by the villagers but it’s a Kirie-way to just ignore all the talks from them. Instead, her persistence eventually reaches him and he opens up more to her, even teaching her the joy of flighting in the air. While this backstory isn’t necessary refreshing, it ties up really well with her current situation when she gets shot down by another airfighter (who proves to be even more skilled than her), and finds herself stranded with a broken airjet. As she has to starts again from scratch, and as this dire situation gets more desperate, it comes as natural that her mind flips back to the memory she treasures the most. Well, this breakup between her and the old geezer could very well mean that they might meet again in this present time, hopefully not as opposing sides.

In latest episode, Kotobuki delves more into its overarching story, now that we know there is an organization behind the scene doing something evil. First, there’s a cheap gasoline around the market from Standon Oil Company that has less quality, and second these bad guys want to destroy Nanko gas station in order to monopolize the oil market. This episodes also focuses on the silent voice of the team, Kate, who wants a day off to meet her bed sick brother, Allen. She is extremely knowledgeable about mechanics, thanks for her well read, and she proves to be the mastermind behind the plan to distinguish the fire, by explosions no less. I figure in the next episode we will learn more about the bad guys, and I really hope that they aren’t just a bunch of villain who want to monopolize the world. The cast of Kotobuki has been goofy so far, but somehow they’re also endearing so it fits the show better if they don’t make villains who take themselves seriously. The chase is on now, let’s hope for an entertaining aerial combats ahead.

Boogiepop wa Warawanai (2019) – 08/09 [VS The Imaginator 5/6]

by SuperMario, posted in Boogiepop wa Warawanai (2019), Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense

Boogiepop never makes things easy huh? Just at the end of this Imaginator arc we immediately receive the whole 4-episode OVA of the next one. Before we get into the next arc (which I will cover in its entirety in the next post), this Imaginator arc reaches its conclusion. I remain half-half on how I perceive this arc as a whole. On one hand, it ends conclusively. Everything falls neatly into its place and every characters have their own significance to the story. One the other hand, the art of telling nonlinear puzzle-like structure like this one is that it adds up at the end, both emotionally and thematically, in which I can only consider Boogiepop mildy succeed at (in cinema world, Atom Egoyan is the master of this approach). Maybe part of that is because I wasn’t that invested to Masaki – Orihata dynamic, and another part is that the main characters don’t really involved into the narrative. Sure, Boogiepop pops in and steals the spotlight in the climax, but it has more to do with her being afraid that her friend Suema would get involved. That bit alone is essential, however. Despite her claims that she’s mostly a watcher, Boogiepop does care for her friends and will actively bang in if there’s any risk included.

Jin Asukai takes up the main narrative in episode 8 where he mostly reveals his own cards. When get confronted by Suema (about Kinukawa’s feeling), he talks about his ambition, pretentiously so, of changing the world. He does have something in mind as he meets Spooky E and totally outclasses him. It’s interesting to note that they have the same kind of power: Spooky E for brain-washing, and Jin for heart-altering (or whatever that is, you could say breast-touching and I’m not going to argue against), but what differentiate their power is the mean: Spooky E uses it purely for manipulation, whereas Jin’s method is something more substantial. It remains unclear to me, however, how does he know about Orihata’s perfect rose? I might miss some details but does he know Orihata in the first place, or is she just someone he coincidentally meet. It remains clear within the last two episodes that he’s much more dangerous and harder to deal with than Spooky E. One thing he does right, however, is when he finally addresses his thought to his cousin Kinukawa, and by rejecting her wholeheartedly she snaps out of her current brainwash.

As for Masaki, although being manipulated by Orihata of becoming a fake Boogiepop to lure out the real one, when it comes to his feeling to Orihata he’s never two-minded about that. As the story goes, he is being ambushed by brainwashed Kinukawa and nearlygive her a finishing blow, if not by the intervention of his sister Nagi. Eventually, the real Boogiepop meets him and tells him the truth, and one I considered as the main theme of Boogiepop the series so far. Masaki knows that he’s being brainwashed and manipulated this whole time, so that explains his fixtation to Orihata because he’s brainwashed to do so. Now with this knowledge, what does his heart really want? The ending works well on that end, but one that I find a little predictable.

As for the Master Gardener, he thinks he’s in control but he makes one grave mistake, that the perfect flower he saw in Orihata is a fake, because Orihata isn’t human. With this reveal, I honestly don’t feel the need for Boogiepop to appear at all. Yes, she assures that she maintains the order, and that she will destroy anything that destruct the structure, but it feels a bit off to me where the arc starts with her against the true Imaginator and ends with her beating Jin, an Imaginator manipulator, and the inclusion of both Suema and Nagi feel superfluous at best. Well, at least things work out in the end.

Kemurikusa – 06/07

by SuperMario, posted in Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Kemurikusa

Welp, I’m back to the normal schedule now so my blogging will be back to normal from now on. My apology for those who waited for my weekly blogs for the last few weeks. For Kemurikusa, episode 6 was a slow one, even slower than its standard (and that says a lot), but the latest episode kicks things up a notch nicely. Before I get into the plot details, let me just mention the CG of Kemurikusa. It helps that the show doesn’t have that much of action scenes and they did a decent when it comes to these action sequences. The issues amongst its CG, however, can be seen clearly in episode 7 when Kemurikusa depicts falling objects but it feels as if they are floating instead. The gravity of the models feel off most of the time, and normally our characters get away with it given their non-human nature. When it comes to depicting something falling, however, the issues become obvious. As a whole, do I enjoy Kemurikusa? My answer is: pretty much. It’s slow burn and it has tons of issues but it still remains intriguing, and one of the joy of following this is we have no idea about the scope of the plot. Will it go down to epic path or will it finish small? I have no clue, but I’m game for more.

One of the main event in episode 6 is that Wakaba meets another Kemurikusa sister, Riku. Riku is a good addition to the cast since her personality is distinct and even her power (that she could use all types of Kemurikusa power – a nod for her exceptional “touching” sense) and she leaves a lasting impression in the first half of episode 6. She teaches Wakaba how to use certain types of Kemurikusa, and conveniently reveals more information about the worldbuilding. Two things of note is that it appears that both her and Ryoku are still safe and sound, but for some unknown reasons they prefer to stay away from their sisters. “We are supposed to be death”, says Riku. My take on it is that they are currently carrying another mission in Island 6 that they don’t want the remaining sisters to be involved, because we can clearly see how fond Riku is when she talks about Rin, Rina and Ritsu.

After the fateful encounter, Wakaba learns how to use the kemurikusa to make it as a shield, and with the Yellow one he can function it like a memory Ipad. All these letters written there are assumedly made by Ryoku, the kemurikusa scholar. The bit that remains the most interesting is the letters written in different characters that mentioned about the original self who has the memory leaf. There are two theories behind this written text. At first, my initial reaction is that the text was written by the original Rina before she splits into six. If you notice you’d see one standout Rina who sleeps/ closes her eyes all the times. My hunch is that she is the original Rina and she has the memory of other Rinas before the split. My second take on it, however, is on the grander scheme. It could be that it was the First Person who splits herself into multiple different Kemurikusa girls, each of them carry different personality and is exceptional of one distinct sense: Rin has a great vision and Ritsu can listen to other sounds by using the Midori for example.

Another important turn of event happens at the end of episode 6 where they found another water source: the giant tree with a lake the runs beneath. There’s heaps of interesting factions going on here: there’s this thick Blue Wall that separate the tree with the rest and it’s function like an Ipad Kemurikusa. There are Blue Bugs which attack the girls, but for me it’s more like they are protecting the Blue Wall themselves. My favorite moment of episode 7 is the brief moment of happiness from the girls when they find a safe place that has water and no Red Bugs to fight. We could really feel how the weight has (momentarily) taken off their shoulders. But like any good fiction, it’s too good to be all true. Wakaba and Rin find out that in the other side of the Blue Wall, Red Bug and Red Mist run amok and on its way to destroy everything. It’s a nice turn of events in general. I give the credits for the show’s confident control of its pacing. Other normie shows would rush to this high-stake part to provide “drama”, Kemurikusa instead makes all the little happy moments sink in first, then reveal this massive conflict. By doing so, we have all the reasons to feel their stake, root for them and look forward to this battle.

Winter 2019 Summary – Week 4-5

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Weekly Summary

We are reaching towards midway of this season where shows start to settle down and we have a firm ideas of which shows we wanna follow till the end. As for me, I decided to skip both Asuka and Domestic Girlfriend for now. I’m still mildly curious about then, but in the season where I find other 10 shows have much more to offer, “mildly curious” ain’t gonna make it. For this last two weeks, Mob Psycho 100 delivered one of the best piece of sakuga action in years, Kasuga-sama had its first meh episode, Run with the Win continues to deliver and I’ve heard good things from Dororo (which I still need to catch up). In fact, only my blogged shows remain in a quiet side of the conversation. They have their own appeal but they’re niched, to put it nicely. For the 4 shows remained here, I must say I enjoy them thoroughly. It’s such a nice set of shows that for the first time since several seasons I’d anticipate all them right after its airings. Now without saying too much let’s get run them down:

Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (ep04-05)

Damn it, Shield Hero. It raises many head-scratching issues but it still manages to hold my attention and investment. For every touching moment of Raphtalia standing up for Naofumi we have to endure awful treatments from basically everyone against him. For all plot building of her becoming free from slaves (which is actually good) the next thing we know we have her binding the slave contract again. For all the chemistry between the fast-runner chicken and Naofumi we have the twist of it transforming into a loli naked girl. Why, Shield Hero? WHY? I was perfectly fine with the chicken being just an eccentric chicken. I was perfectly fine with him NOT gathering a harem team. And yet I’m still down to follow it. I know the only reason to explain all that is that I like trashy shows.

Continue reading “Winter 2019 Summary – Week 4-5” →

Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai – 04/05 [Elite Stronghold/ The Splendid Aleshma]

by SuperMario, posted in Finished Series: Action, Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai

It has been fun over the last two weeks of Kotobuki, where we get to learn more about two members of the squad and some more fun times with them fighting against air pirates. One thing first, I still greatly enjoy the tongue-in-cheek conversations Kotobuki employs. It’s fast-paced, it’s irrelevance, it’s silly but Kotobuki is also whole lotta fun. At this point I can firmly say that the characters aren’t supposed to be a full-fledge characters, instead they are cool and boy, did the show deliver on that. On top of that we have some really silly, goofy side characters (read: mostly men) that despite their over-the-top, there’s something charming about them. I know there’s an overarching arc that will come later on, but now I’ve warmed up considerably with this pirate-of-the-week format. One factor that needed mentioning regarding its world-building though, is that the characters are in the era where they don’t have any idea about “sea” or “bike”. Which is interesting if they can manage to explore the world building more.

In episode 4, it’s Zara (not the brand!) who takes the torch and she sure makes an impression as the experient quiet one who manages to singlehanded raids the gang and effortlessly claims back the Raiden safe and sound. She appears to know about basically everything, has her way of gaining information and beat the men in their own game (booze). Moreover, when she meets the young girl who is behind all the paintings the CEO trying to sale, she encourages her to be her own self. The CEO, although unbearable in episode 3, suddenly becomes charming as we learn that all he does is for the benefits of the girl, and naturally it gets in the way of other members of his “organization”. The way they double-cross him is a tad bit on your face, but I let it aside because it’s fun to see them got hit by our girls and the interactions between the girls are as natural as ever.

In the last episode, we have an addition cast, Isao who is the head of View Trading who has lame magic tricks. This time it’s the team leader Reona who going through some sort of focus as it’s revealed that Isao was a talented pilot and had saved her in the past, so that she wants to pay back by protecting him. Unsurprisingly, air pirates appear with overwhelming volume (air pirates are everywhere in this world, not that it’s a complaint), and the man himself joins the battle, shoots down some air jets before accidently self-destruct his plane. As I keep saying every week, while the plot itself is merely passable, and the characters aren’t what we considered as deep, it’s the confident tones and the way Kotobuki represents itself that make it a rewarding ride with heaps of fun so far. Even if this turns out to be a low-tier offering of the season, I’m still pretty much happy with its existence.